In our latest tasting adventure, we decided to dive into the world of Hi-Chew, the beloved chewy, fruity treat that is a well-loved snack for many. After walking about one-and-a-half miles to procure said Hi-Chews, we were eager for an epic Hi-Chew flavor showdown. With three different variety packs (the berry pack, the fantasy pack, and the tropical mix pack) totalling around $11, we were ready to chew and taste-test. Here’s how the flavors stacked up—from the ones that surprised us to the ones we could’ve done without.

Raspberry (8.5/10) 

Starting off strong, raspberry wasn’t necessarily good, but compared to our other options, it earned itself a top ranking. With a pretty generic berry flavor, the only way to differentiate this Hi-Chew from any other was to read the packaging. That being said, there was a nice white and light pink color scheme, earning it a high score. 

Black Cherry (4/10) 

Black cherry was probably second place. Considering there are only three in the berry assortment pack, this is not exactly a high praise. On the first bite, it was pretty disappointing, tasting like cough medicine in the worst way. As we kept chewing, the flavor improved to a slightly more tolerable taste. But the damage was done. While it wasn’t the worst, we wouldn’t go back for more.

Rainbow Sherbet (6/10) 

After a quick Reddit search, we learned rainbow sherbet is apparently a popular Hi-Chew flavor with an overwhelmingly sweet blend of tart fruitiness. This led us to believe our negative experience came from not liking the rainbow sherbet flavor on its own, and rather than Hi-Chew’s recreation of the iconic ice cream combo. This we could let slide but opening the packaging to see none other than a plain green Hi-Chew was a smack to the face. Where was the rainbow? 

Dragon Fruit (7/10) 

If we were purely rating off of looks, the dragon fruit flavor would’ve swept the competition. A soothing pink with a bright white center and black speckles dotted throughout the candy invited us to take a bite. The flavor wasn’t up to par with the outside appearance though: average.

Kiwi (6.5/10)

Kiwi was just alright. With a medium high rating, kiwi was average amongst all the Hi-Chew flavors. However, it had a curious taste like… artificial watermelon? It didn’t remind us of kiwi at all. It also had an unusually strong aftertaste. On the positive side, it looked cool, with a black-speckled green pattern that resembled a kiwi.  

Pineapple (8.5/10) 

This one impressed us, tasting way more like real pineapple than we had previously expected—almost making us feel like we were lounging on a beach in Hawaii. That is, until reality came crashing back with the aftertaste. Even though it started tropical and turned into a weird artificial flavor, we still rated it highly as it was probably one of the better flavors within the group. 

Mango (5/10) 

For a flavor that’s a part of the normal Hi-Chew rotation, mango was surprisingly underwhelming. Personally, we have never reached for it when Hi-Chews have been offered here and there, and my experience with it only confirms that we have been making the right decision for years. At first, the bright red packaging caught our eye, but when we opened it, it kind of smelled like cat pee. Not exactly the tropical escape we were hoping for. Taste-wise, it was fine, but it had an artificial flavor and was really nothing special. Honestly, for a candy this popular, we expected better.

Blueberry (0/10) 

It was almost impossible to think that Hi-Chew spent time developing, testing, packaging, manufacturing, and distributing this flavor, all for it to end up at the bottom of our trash cans. For any of our OG fans out there, this Hi-Chew is the equivalent of the Birthday Cake Oreo, an outright disgrace to the entire brand. Save yourself and your taste buds and NEVER try this candy.

Blue Hawaii (1.5/10) 

We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into when this flavor appeared in the only appropriately priced Hi-Chew variety pack we could find at Ranch 99. Apparently, this flavor is supposed to resemble the blue hawaii cocktail, which predisposed it to failure in our books. Maybe we would better understand the hype in five or so years, but for now, this flavor is just gross. 

Blue Raspberry (5/10) 

You know, the blue raspberry flavor is usually a beloved flavor despite the fact that blue raspberries don’t even exist. Like, what is blue raspberry supposed to taste like? Unfortunately, this flavor didn’t answer the question. Instead of the punchy, slightly sour, and tangy blue raspberry flavor we expected, it just tasted like the raspberry from earlier, with a little more sugar. Not bad, but not exciting either. For a flavor that’s supposed to be fun, this one played it way too safe.

We hope you learned a lot from this review because we sacrificed a lot to create it. By the end of the taste-testing session, our heads were hurting and our hearts were heavy. Unfortunately, the entire experience made us lose any inkling of love we had for Hi-Chew to begin with. The only thing they got right about their candies is the slogan: Choose different. Choose fun. Chew Hi-Chew. 

We would say, just choose different.